Slidable side jaw wrench



4 MIL July 28, 1953 A. T. ALLEN 2,646,710

SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH Filed July 29, 1949 I K I 2 I NVE'N TOR HRcH/E T/MEN ATTORNEY Patented July 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE 2,646,710 I p I SLIDABLE SIDE JAvv WRENCH Archie Allen, Hickman, Calif. Application July 29, 1949, SerialNo.'107,579

My invention relates to wrenches of the adjustable jaw type having means at the end of the handle for actuation to adjustably set the jaws.

An object of the invention is to provide a wrench of the character described such that a setting of the wrench jaws may be effected either from its handle end or from its head end.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of the character described which is of a particularly simple and effective structure requiring a minimum number of parts.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a typical embodiment thereof and in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal edge view of a wrench embodying my invention.

Figurez is a side face view of the wrench.

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section of the wrench.

Figure 4 is a section taken at the line 4-4'in Figure 3.

Figure is a section taken at the line 55 in Figure 2'.

The illustrated wrench structure essentially comprises a stock or body 8 providing coterminous head and handle portions 9 and II respectively, with the head 9 providing a jaw portion I2 integral therewith and adjustably mounting a jaw member I3 having a jaw portion I4 opposite the jaw I2 for operative cooperation therewith. A base portion I5 of the member I3 slidably and complementarily engages a head slideway I6 which extends as a slot from the forward end face of the head and is continued as an opening at the base of the jaw I2, said slideway being in the central plane of the head. The base portion I5 of the member I3 is of uniform crosssection and comprises a web I5 terminating in a bead I5" having its diameter greater than the thickness of the web I5 whereby the member I3 is held againstlateral escape from the complementary slideway I6.

Inwardly of the slideway I6, the head 9 is provided with a transverse opening I! therethrough, with its cavity extending along and slightly into the cylindrical portion of the slideway IB and having mutually parallel side faces I8 and I9 transverse to the slideway. A screw pin 2| is mounted in the head 9 to extend across the opening H in substantially parallel relation to the slideway and in perpendicular rela- 2 Claims. (Cl. 81-165) tion to the cavity faces I8 and I9 androtatably mounts a, member 22 in retained position between said faces. As particularly shown, the screw pin 2| extends into the head from the side edge thereof which is opposite the edge which provides the jaw I2.

A major portion of the member 22 is formed as a worm screw 23 having its thread extending from its end opposite the cavity side l8 and engaging a rack 24 provided on the jaw member l3, said rack having been provided by crossnotching the bead I5" of the member. The

' worm 23 of the member 22 extends from the opening I! at the head sides whereby the member may be manually engaged and rotated to effect adjustments of the jaw I4 with respect to the jaw I2, the member 22 being, by reason of its function, conveniently referred to as a spreader member. In the present structure, the line of the slideway I6 is oblique to the line of the handle II whereby the opposed jaw faces are similarly oblique to the handle line.

It will now be noted that the handle portion.

of the stock 8 is provided with a longitudinal bore 25 which journals a shaft or stem 26 extending from within the opening I! to a point beyond the handle extremity, and mounts a handle extension portion 21 by which it is arranged to be rotated; as particularly shown, the handle extension 21 is provided with an axial socket 28 which has the extending shaft end releasably fixed therein by means of a setscrew 29. Noting that the handle extension 27 is cylindrical, the handle portion immediately adjacent thereto is also cylindrical and of like size whereby the peripheral faces of the extension and handle are flush at their mutually abutting ends.

The forward end of the shaft 26 mounts a bevel gear 3I which is arranged to be in constant meshing engagement with a bevel gear 32 provided on the end of the spreader member 22 which is nearest the face I9 of the opening [1, the gear 3| being shown as comprising an integral portion of the member. The hub portion of the bevel gear 3I is engaged in a complementarily countersunk end portion of the bore 25 and is pinned to the shaft end which mounts it. The arrangement is essentially such that the handle extension 21 is in swivelled relation to the handle II.

Forwardly of its rear cylindrical portion the handle I I is recessed therealong and to the cavity I! to provide flattened side face portions 33 which intersect an intermediate enlarged portion of the bore 25, and cover plates 34 are fixed opposite said side face portions of the handle. The plates 34, it is noted, extend forwardly to conceal the gears 3| and 32 while leaving the worm 23 exposed for its manual operation from either or both sides of the head, and the closed space defined at the intermediate enlarged portion of the bore 25 may contain a suitable lubricant grease for the shaft 26.

It is to be particularly noted that the present wrench is arranged for the relative adjustment of its jaws l2 and [4 either by manually turning the spreader member 22 or the handle extension 21, and that said elements are correspondingly rotated together. The arrangement is-particularly important to a mechanic by reason of the fact that settings of the wrench jaws may be efiected from the most accessible portion of the handle extension fixed to said shaft for direct manual turning thereof.

..2...'In".a conventional slidable side jaw wrench having a head portion and a handle extended generally right angularly therefrom, said head Wrench under various use conditions, it being particularly noted that the control from the handle extension provides for the setting and application of the wrench jaws in spaces where access to the spreader member is prevented, t From the foregoing description taken in con: nection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the present wrench will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described the principle of operation, together with a form of my invention which I now consider to comprise a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the showing is primarily illustrative, and that such changes and developments. may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

1. In a conventional slidable side jaw wrench having a head portion and a handle extended.- generally right angularly therefrom,. said head portion having a transverse opening there- .through, and slidable jaw rotatable actuating means operably connected to the slidable jaw and mounted in the head portion at the opening and accessible for direct manual turning toactuate the slidable jaw, and said handle having an axial bore therethrough in communication with the transverse opening in the head portion, and the portion. havin ha transverse opening therethrough, and slidable jaw rotatable actuating means operably connected to the slidable jaw and mounted in the head portion at the opening and accessible for direct manual'turning toactuate the slidable jaw, and said handle having an axial. bore therethrough in communication with the transverse opening in the head portion, and-the bore being formed with an enlarged portion radially thereof and opening through the handle, a shaitjournalled in the bore and axially fixed and rotatably supported-therein, bevel gears of substantially like size directly connecting the shaft and said means and entirely within the head at the transverse opening therethrough, and a cover plate secured to said handle and enclosing the axial bore and the enlarged portion thereof and extending over a part of the transverse openingin the head portion to enclose the bevel gears, and furthermeansfor turning said first named means,- including'a. handle extension fixed to said shaft for direct manual turning thereof.

, ARCHIE T. AILEN.

References Cited in. the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ame Date McLean Aug 25, 1,335, Rugger Nov, 8, 1932 Nu r 

